System for directing the movements of air and/or marine craft



NOV. 19, 1946. w WEBER 2,411,400

SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING THE MOVEMENTS OF AIR AND/OR MARINE CRAFT Filed July 25, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet l WITNESSES: INVENTOR; fl 2 :1, 2;; Z21 WZZZMUZL YZLZZZQ T/Veber, My Q B Y W ATTORNEYS.

Nov. 19, 1946. w. T. WEBER 2,411,400

SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING THE MOVEMENTS OF AIR AND/OR MARINE CRAFT Filed July 23, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 FIG. 3*

INVENTOR: William TuZZZe Weber;

ATTORNEYS.

NOV. 19, 1946 w WEBER 2,411,400

SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING THE MOVEMENTS OF AIR AND/OR MARINE CRAFT Filed July 23, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 5 1 J Y J INVENTOR;

William YZLZZZeT/LQDQJ;

BY 5mg ATTORNEYS.

NOV. 19, 1946. w WEBER 2,411,400

SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING THE MOVEMENTS OF AIR AND/OR MARINE CRAFT Filed July 23, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 4 INVENTOR; I Vz'llz'am 7mm Weber,

BY 7gp? A TTORNEYS.

Nov. 19, 1946.

W. T. WEBER SYSTEM FOR DIRECTING THE MOVEMENTS OF AIR AND/OR MARINE CRAFT Filed July 23, 1943 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 INVENTOg;

William WzZZZeI l/eber; BY F P A TTORNEYS.

WITNESSES:

Patented Nov. 19, 1946 ZAl Li SYSTEM FOR DIRECTIN OF AIR AND/O G THE MOVEMENTS R MARINE CRAFT William Tuttle Weber, Lansdowne, Pa., assignor of one-half to Pa.

Jacob Applebaum, Philadelphia.

Application July 23, 1943, Serial No. 495,824

16 Claims.

This invention relates to systems useful in directing the courses of ships at sea, particularly ships traveling under convoy in wartime, and for directing aircraft into airports or onto the decks of carriers or other vessels.

I am aware that visible light beacons have been employed heretofore in systems of the kind referred to, but such beacons are not readily seen during the day, nor are they reliable in fog; and moreover by reason of their advantage to the enemy in normal or good weather in disclosing the location of the airports and the ships from which the beams are transmitted.

The aim of my invention is to overcome the above mentioned drawbacks, that is to say, to make possible the guiding of ships and the safe landing of aircraft during the night as well as during the day, regardless of cloud or fog conditions.

This desideratum I attain in practice as hereinafter more fully disclosed through the employment of invisible Roentgen or X-rays, or the like, and through provision of improved means for controlling directional transmission of the rays from airports or ships either as continuous beams, or as periodically intercepted code producing beams, for reception by suitable detecting devices on the ships or the aircraft which are to be uided.-

Other objects and attendant advantages will appear from the following detailed description of the attached drawings, wherein Fig. l is a view in vertical section of a transmitting apparatus conveniently embodying my invention in part and adapted for both marine and land use.

2 is a plan section of the apparatus taken as indicated by the angled arrows IIII'in Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a diagrammatic view'of detecting apparatus constructed in accordance with my invention and likewise suitable for both marine and land use.

Fig. 4 is a schematic view showing the manner of operation of my improved system in directing the movement of a group of ships under convoy.

Fig. 5 is a diagrammatic view showing the use of the system in guiding an aircraft to the landing deck of a ship.

Fig. 6 is a view similar to Fig. 5 illustrating the use of the system in guiding aircraft to a landing field of an airport.

Figs. 7 and 8 are views corresponding to Figs. 1 and 2 showing an alternative form of transmitting apparatus. Fig. 9 is a view also like Fig. 2 illustrating modification of the transmitting apparatus; and

Fig. 10 is a fragmentary sectional view taken as indicated by the angled arrows X-X in Fig. 9.

With more detailed reference first more especially to Figs. 1 and 2 of these illustrations, the transmitting apparatus there delineated and generally designated by the letter T has a box-like housing in which is preferably of iron with a lining or coating of lead, and which is provided with a removable lid ll of like material so that when necessary access may be had to the parts about to be described at its interior. Suitably fixed in position in the lower portion of the housing it is a pair of transformers l2; and supported atop these transformers in the. Vertical axis of the housing by struts l3, is a Roentgen or X-ray generator l5 of which the bulb is surrounded by a sheathing [6 of lead with provision of a jacket I! for circulation thereabout of oil or other cooling fluid. The generator I5 is more or less diagrammatically exemplified as being one of a new, recently developed type capable of emitting its rays in all directions, said tube being supplied with current at high voltage through leads I8 extending down through the struts 13 for connection in circuit with the transformers I2 in a well lmown manner. The generator l5, as a whole, is disposed within a shielding shell l9 having walls of relatively thick lead, said shell resting on top of the transformers l2 and being open at the bottom as best seen in Fig. 1. In adapting the generator [5 to the purposes of my invention, I form. the upper cylindric portion of its sheathing 15 with arplurality of windows 20. In the illustrated instance there are four of such windows 20 circumferentially spaced at a quadrant and facing the four walls of the housing l0. There is also provided, for a purpose later on explained, a similar window 2| axially of the top of the sheathing l6. Aligned with the lateral windows 2B of the sheathing 16 are beam emission tubes 22 each such tube being formed in two coaxiallyarranged sections 22a, 22b which are suitably secured in the side walls respectively of the'housing I!) and the shell l9, and which are separated by an interval for projection therebetween of the edge portion of a disk 23. Ihe four disks 23 are supported for rotation about horizontal axes by radial arms 25 of an annular frame 26 which is secured by screw bolts 21 whereof the threaded shanks pass through apertures in said arms and take into the side walls of the housing Ill. Aiiixed to each disk 23 is a bevel gear 28 in mesh with a bevel gear ring 29 which revolves in a recess in the annulus 26 and which is supported on bearing balls 30. In the use of the apparatus, the bevel day but at night and in spite of cloudy or foggy gear ring 29 is constantly driven by an intermeshweather conditions. By turning the receiver 40 ing bevel pinion 35 on the shaft of an electric it will be possible to find the beam intended for it motor 32 mounted on a bracket 33 in one corner if the convoyed ship should stray from the deof the housing l0. As instanced in dotted lines sired course in a manner which will be readily in Fig. 1, each disk 23 is formed with a series of understood from Fig. l.

perforations 35 adapted as the disk revolves to Fig. illustrates how the vertical beam from pass the corresponding window 213 in the sheaththe transmitter T of my invention is utilized to ing It of the X-ray bulb. The apertures 35 may direct an ey A to a landin deck L of a be in the form of circular holes or elongate slots, S ip $5. In this case the transmitter is recessed or combinations of the two to produce periodic into the deck L as at 48, and the receiver 40 loflashes of the beam B for the purposes of code cated' at the bottom of the fuselage of the autosignaling. The perforations of the disks 23 may y be identical" throughout or they' may differ; de- In Fig. 6 the system is shown arranged for dipending on the character of the code messages reoting'ordinaryplanes and autogyros to a landwhich are to be transmitted. Aligned with the ns fi ld f an irp r H r th r n mi in upper Window 25 in t sheathing [60f t X-ray apparatus T is recessed at 49 into the surface F of bulb is a tube as which is fixed in the top wall of h rp r aid app r t being like hat illusthe shell IE and which passes out through an trated in detail in Fig 1 and 2 Cept for havin opening in the lid ll of the casing it, being itself its b s 2 a a g d to a g la y d rect the provided with a removable cover 3'! which is of b s B for guidance of ordinary plane P, while course e e h th ti l b m 13 i t its vertical beam B is used for directing the autob u ed, gyro A. In the case of the ordinary plane P the For detection of the X-ray beams or code sigreceiver 49 may be p d in e noses of the nals transmitted from the apparatus '1 of Figs. fuselages, d in the e Of t y s n the 1 and 2, I have devised the receiving apparatus bottoms of the fusela as i d cat d.

pictured in Fig. 3 and generally designated by the In the alternative form of transmitting appaletter R. As shown, this receiving apparatus inratus T illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, a Roentgen cludes a bulb device generally indicated by the tube I50 is of the ordinary ype W c transmits numeral to which 'is sensitive to X-rays and its rays only in the direction indicated by the arwhich is commercially known as a Geiger row in Fig. 8. In this instance the transformers counter. The power input cable 4! of the device E20 and the tube lEc are supported upon a turntais connectedto a power pack which may be of ble Ell which is suitably journaled for rotation any approved commercial type and which is herein a bearing 5! at the bottom of the housing lilc, in represented by its casing 42. The output cable and which is arranged to be intermittently ro- 33 of the device 4!! is, on the other hand, contated through a quadrant at each actuation by a nected to an electronic amplifier, which, like the Geneva movement whereof the star wheel is power pack, may be of any approved type, said designated 52 and the cooperative disk 53 which amplifier being herein likewise represented by its carries the drive pin 54. Connected to the disk 53 casing 45. In accordance with my invention, the so is a bevel gear 55 (see Fig. '7) which is in turn dial of the milli-ammeter M5 of the amplifier driven by a bevel gear pinion 56 on an electric (which meter, let it be understood, is of the motor 51 fixedly supported within the housing damped or ballistic type capable of registering I00. Incident to the dwells between the intermitcontinuously) is calibrated to indicate distances tent rotary shifts of the table 58, the rays emitted in feet rather than current strength as ordinarily. from the generator are directed into a confining The amplifier is moreover shown as having a tube 49 supported on said table and successively light bulb 41 for visibly indicating the signals through the tubes 22c, which, as in the first dereceived, and, if desired, an electric bell or other scribed embodiment, are suitably secured in the audible signal means may be connected in circuit side walls of the housing lllc, the rays being inwith the light bulb for synchronous operation tercepted in each instance by a perforated disk therewith. 230 in the same manner as described in connec- When employed to transmit signal beams to tion with the first embodiment. Here, however, control the movements of a group of convoyed the disks 230 are formed with peripheral teeth ships the transmitting apparatus T is mounted which mate with drive pinions 58 on the shafts as shown in Fig. 4, at a suitable point on a master (,3; of individual electric motors 59 supported by ship S, amongst a group of convoyed ships S, brackets 60 from the walls of the housing I00. S2, S3- and S4, so that the beams B are flashed The modified transmitter illustrated in Figs. 9 forward and rearward and sidewise to said conand 10 is identical with that shown in Figs. 1

voyed ships as indicated by the dot-and-dash and 2'- except that here a separate coding disk lines. The transmitter may be located at any .13 23d is provided to periodically intercept the verconvenient location on the ship S. Each of the tically directed beam. The disk 23d is rotated ships-S-SA is provided at a convenient location through the medium of auxiliary drive means with a receiver 40 for detection of the beam or which includes a pair of intermeshing spur gears code messages transmitted from the master ship BI and 62 whereof the first is affixed to said disk S. The receiver mmay be mounted with capacity ,3 and the other to the upper end of a vertical shaft for being turned about. its vertical axis, about 63. As shown, the shaft 63 is journaled in an uphalf way up a mast of each of the convoyed ships ward bracket extension (54 of the annulus 26. at with the slot of its bulb device facing the master one corner of the housing I0, which bracket also ship S and the other parts of the receiving apparotatively supports the disk 23d. To the lower ratus located on the bridge or in a cabin set apart 7 0 end of the shaft 63 is secured a miter pinion 65 for. them as may be found convenient or desirthat mates with a similar miter pinion 66 on the able. With the aid of the meter 46 of the receivouter end of a short horizontal shaft 61 also ing apparatus, it will be seen that each 0011- journaled in the bracket extension 64 and provoyed ship can be maintained at a definite disvided at its inner end with a bevel gear 68' w tance from the master ship not only during the T15 meshes with the gear ring 29. The pro 7 ing of the gears BI, 62, 65, 66 and 68 in the illustrated instance is such that the disk 2311 is rotated at the same speed as the disks 23. However, if found to be desirable it may be otherwise proportioned for rotation of the disk 23d at a differential speed. As further shown, the edge portion of the disk 23d extends into an interval in the directing tube 3601 which, like the tubes 22, is made in two sections 36c and 36].

Having thus described my invention, I claim:

1. In a system of the character described, a transmitter for emitting a directional X-ray beam from a ship or a landing port; an X-ray detector for carriage on another ship or on an air craft to be guided; and means influenced by the output from said detector to directly indicate the distance of the latter from said transmitter.

2. The invention according to claim 1, further including means embodied in the transmitter for periodically intercepting the beam to produce code signals; and means associated with the detector for visibly indicating the code signals.

3. The invention according to claim 1, further including means embodied in the transmitter for periodically intercepting the beam to produce code signals; and means associated with the detector for visibly and audibly indicating the code signals.

4. In a system of the character described for directing the course of ships in convoy, a transmitter carried by a. master ship amid the convoy group and adapted to emit directional X-ray beams laterally in several different directions; and X-ray detectors carried respectively by the other ships in the group, each such detector having associated with it means for directly indicating the distance between the corresponding ship and said master ship.

5. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter on the master ship embodies means for periodically intercepting the beams to produce code signals; and wherein the detector on each of the other ships embodies means for visibly indicating the code signals received.

6. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter on the master ship embodies means for periodically intercepting the beams to produce code signals; and wherein the detector on each of the other ships embodies means for visibly and audibly indicating the code signals received.

7. The invention according to claim 4, wherein the transmitter also emits a directional beam vertically for guidance of aircraft to a landing deck on the master ship.

8. A transmitter for a system of the character described including a bulb capable of emitting X-rays in all directions, a sourrounding cas- 6 ing with a plurality of circumferentially-arranged windows, and means confining the beams emanating from said windows for directional projection.

9. A transmitter according to claim 8, including means for periodically intercepting the projected beams to produce code signals.

10. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the confining means are in the form of radial tubes respectively in line with the windows.

11. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the confining means are in the form of radial tub-es respectively in line with the windows; and further including perforated screening means to pass through interruptions in the tubes and thereby periodically intercept the beams for the purpose of producing code signals.

12. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the confining means are in the form of radial tubes respectively in line with the windows; further including rotary disks with perforated edge portions projecting into interruptions in the respective tubes; and means for rotating the disks to cause periodic interception of the beams for the purpose of producing code signals.

13. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the confining means are in the form of radial tubes respectively in line with the windows; further including rotary disks with perforated edge portions projecting into interruptions in the respective tubes; and means for rotating the disks to cause periodic interception of the beams for the purpose of producing code signals, the last mentioned means comprising gear wheels in individual fixed relation to the disks, an intermeshing master gear wheel, and a motor for driving the master gear wheel.

14. A transmitter according to claim 8, wherein the casing for the bulb is provided with a window at the top; and means for confining the additional beam emanating from the last mentioned window for vertical projection.

15. A transmitter for a, system of the character described including a bulb which emits an X-ray beam laterally; a surrounding protective housing with means at intervals perimetrically thereof to confine the beam for directional projection; and means for intermittently rotating the bulb through partial turns to vary its beam into line successively with the individual confining means.

16. A transmitter according to claim 15, further including means for periodically intercepting the beam at each dwell in the rotation of the bulb for the purpose of producing code signals.

WILLIAM TUT'I'LE WEBER. 

